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Apple is discontinuing the practice of allowing iAds to appear in mobile apps geared toward younger users. Although the Cupertino, California-based tech giant has come under substantial fire in recent months from US lawmakers who have targeted Apple's questionable in-app practices, the company isn't saying that those very criticisms have provoked the change.

Instead, Apple apparently cites the reason for yanking iAds from apps tailored to kids is a scarcity of interest among advertisers (yeah, and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you). Nonetheless, Apple seems to think most of us will accept their claim that advertisers don't want to target children.

Of course, Apple hasn't publicly said anything about this particular situation. Rather, we're hearing it from an app developer who had all iAds pulled from his kid-friendly work. Mike Zornek, maker of the Pokemon-themed "Dex" app, reached out to Apple in his quest to discover why his advertising fill rate plunged to $0.

The response he received from Apple tells the whole story. According to Zornek, an Apple rep said: "We periodically review the apps in the iAd Network to ensure that all apps receiving ads are aligned with the needs of our advertisers. Currently, our advertisers prefer that their advertising not appear in applications that are targeted for users that are young children, since their products are not targeted at that audience."

Due to the change in policy and subsequent loss of revenue, Zornek says he brought his work over to the AdMob network.